This invention relates to the lighting art and, more particularly, to an improved flashlight.
A number of flashlight users, such as policemen, firemen, and scuba divers, subject flashlights to heavy punishment, but demand reliable and lasting operation. Such users frequently employ a flashlight for purposes other than lighting, as for example a tool or a weapon, and expose flashlights to extremes in environmental conditions. When flashlights are jostled during use for other purposes, the axial inertial forces of the batteries in the direction of the lamp assembly may break the filament of the light bulb. Moisture entering the housing of the flashlight may corrode the contacts in the electrical circuit for the batteries and the light bulb. The switch for turning the flashlight on and off is particularly vulnerable to corrosion due to moisture or damage from external forces. Easy repair and replacement of parts in the field so a damaged flashlight may be returned to service quickly is a valuable attribute in demanding applications such as police work, fire fighting, and scuba diving.